Coating-machine-cleaning apparatus



w. ApwElGHTM/IN AND c. H. NITSCH.

-COATING MACHINE CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APILZ. 192i.

'patented oct. 31, 1922.

2 SHEETSvSHEE' l.

@3312* 5%@ )bten/Lew L7M @MQW Mg@ vv. A. WEIGHTIVIAN AND C. H. NITSCH.

CUATING MACHINE CLEANING APPARATUS.

4 APPLICATION FILED APR. 2. 192i. l

Patented Oct-31., 1922.

'ZSHEUSMSHEU 2.

yand the roll.

Patented @et 31, 192.

WILLIAM A. WEIGHTMAN AND CHARLES H. NITSCH, OF PHILADELPHIA, yIFINNSYL- VANIA, ASSIGNORS TO STOKES & SMITH COMPANY, OF SUMMERDALE, PENNSYL- ITANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

COA'IING-MACHINE-CIEANING APPARATUS.

Application filed April 2,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM A. WEIGHT` MAN and CHARLES H. Ni'rsoH, citizens of the United States, and residents of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coating-Machine-Cleaning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in coating machines, and is particularly directed to an improved construction for readily cleaning parts of the machine which carrythe coating material.

Our invention is primarily designed for application to the type of coating machine in which the fluid coating material is transferred from a reservoir by means of contacting rollers to one side of the coated article, which passes over a roller. In the form disclosed it is employed on a coating machine of the type disclosed in the United States patent to Morrison No. 1,331,460, in which the applying roller is provided with a number of circumferential giooves to accommodate stripper fingers which break the engagement between the sheet being coated In the course of operation these Grooves and the stripping mechanism, as weil as other parts of thecoating apparatus to a lesser extent, gradually become more or less gummed up with the adhesive employed for coating. The cleaning which is necessary at regular intervals is more or less tedious and time-consuming, owing to the difliculty in gaining access to all the various corners and recesses of the parts.`

A principal object of our invention is to provide means for readily and rapidly cleaning coating apparatus by means which is in part automatic, avoiding the necessity for manual cleaning of the various parts.

A further object is to provide means of this sort which will perform its function in a comparatively short space of time, reducing stoppage of the machine for this purpose to a minimum, and which alsomay be conveniently manipulated. l

In the preferred form, our invention is applicable to the type of coating machine in which the coating fluid is heated by a water bath, as is the general practice in gluing machines; and a more specific o bject 1s to employ the water used for'heating the 1921. Serial No. 458,157.

coating fluid as the medium for cleaning the coating apparatus. A concomitant object is to provide a construction in which the heating water may be readily and rapidly applied to the parts to be cleaned.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of coating apparatus embodying our invention in coating position, the cleaning position being indicated in dotted lines, parts being 'broken away, and

Figure 2 is a similar View with the parts in position intermediate the coating and cleaning positions, the latter position being indicated in dotted lines.

F or convenience in following the detailed description, it may benoted that we preferably employ a pan for adhesive, movably mounted on a trough carrying the hot water bath. When it is desired to clean the parts, the pan and trough are lowered away from the coating rollers, the pan is retracted to expose the water bath, and the trough containing tlie water is then elevated to bring the lowermost coating roller into the bath. 'I he machine is then operated, carrying the hot water over the parts to be cleaned.

.In ,machines of the type indicated, the coating material 10 such as paste or glue, is

retained in a pan 11 suitably supported sothat the dipping roller 12 will extend into the fluid. The coating roller 13 in contact with dipping roller 12 receives the coating fluid from the latter and transfers it to the article to be coated, such as a sheet of paper 14. In the particular machine illustrated, the coating roller 13 is provided with circumferential grooves 15 into which the stripping and cleaning fingers 16 extend, the upper ends of the fingers stripping the paper from roll 13, while the lower ends of the fingers extend into the grooves to clean them, all as set forth in Patent No. 1,331,463. It will of course be appreciated that these details of construction are purely illustrative, as our invention is equally applicable to a great variety of coating machine constructions employing coating rollers or analogous elements.

rIhe fluid 10 is maintained at a proper temperature by means of a suitable water jacket heated in any desired way. The hot water 17 in the form illustrated is retained in a trough 18 upon which pan 11 rests, the pan dfpping into the water 17. The water may be heated by steam passing through the pipe coil 19 in trough 18.

Pan v11 is slidably mounted on trough 18, so that it may be slid rearwardly to a point where it is completely out of register with the dipping roll 12. This may be conveniently accomplished by providing trough 18 with a flat edge 20 upon which the marl ginal lip 21 of the pan 11 rests, forming a tight connection but permitting the pan to slide along the trough. In order to seal the water jacket tightly, we form pan 11 substantially shorter than trough 18, and provide the pan with an extension or hood 22 overlying the front of the trough and having a marginal lip 23 in continuation of lip 21 on the pan llresting on edge 20 of the trough. A filling opening 24 for replenishing the water 17 may be provided in hood 22.

For convenience in sliding pan 11 away from the dipping roller 12, and to break any adhesion or strong frictional engagement between the trough edge 20 and lips 21 and 23, we may employ handles 25 pivotally mounted at 26 on the hood 22, the handles dropping out of the way against stops 27 on lip 23 when not in use. It will be understood that while for convenience only one side of the apparatus has been illustrated, the opposite side is substantially identical therewith, and a handle 25 is preferably mounted at each side. When pan 11 is to be retracted, handles 25 swing upwardly against abutments 28 projecting at each side of hood 22 as illustrated in Figure 2, so that the operator may readily lift the' rear end of the pan and slide it forward free from excessive frictional engagement with the trough.

We provide means for readily lowering the trough and pan into position where the pan may be retracted without interference from the coating roller 12 or other parts of the coating apparatus. One convenient arrangement for this purpose is illustrated, including bell cranks 29 pivotally mounted at 30 on bracket 31 of the machine frame, theI upper arms of the cranks being pivoted in clevises 32 on trough 18. The lower ends of the cranks are connected by links 33, so that the trough 18 and pan 11 will maintain a substantially horizontal position while being lowered and raised. For shifting the trough and tank, we extend one of the cranks 29 to form a hand lever 34.

We also preferably provide means for locking the parts in position with the pan 11 elevated to the proper height for feeding adhesive to the dipping roll 12. For this purpose we may employ a latch including a dog 35 pivotally mounted on lever 34 and normally pressed by spring 36 into engagement with a notch 37 carried by extension 38 of the bracket 31. A thumb piece 39 on dog 35 provides convenient means for releasing the latch when the pan and trough are to be lowered.

It will be understood that in the form shown we employ four bell cranks 29, two at each side of the bracket 31, each pair being connected' by a link 33; and lever 34 is an extension of a bell crank at the rear of bracket 31.

We will now set forth the detailed operation of the device. The parts as shown in Figure 1 in full lines are in coating position, where they remain during the normal running of the machine. When it is desired to clean the coating parts, the operator grasps lever 34, releasing the latch by depressng dog 35 through manipulation of thumb piece 39, and raises lever 34, swinging the trough 18, pan 11, and connecting parts down to the level shown in full lines in Figure 2, the trough resting on bracket 31. The operator then grasps handles 25, swinging them upwardly; and if necessary raising the rear end ofthe pan 11 slightly by engagement between the levers and abutments 28. The pan is then retracted to the position shown in full lines in Figure 2, exposing the water 17 immediately below dipping roller 12, and raised until the roller dips into the water. The normal operation of the machine will then carry the heated water over rolls 12 and 13, into the grooves 15, over the contiguous portions of fingers 16, and onto such adjacent parts as may at any time be in contact with the elements which normally carry the coating fluid. It has been found that by running the machine for a very short time in this way, these parts will be cleaned very thoroughly.

Owing to the fact that the level of water 17 may be normally slightly below that of the coatingfluid 10, it may be desirable t0 swing trough 18 during the cleaning operation to a point slightly higher than its normal location during coating. This object is attained very simply by providing another notch 40 in the extension 38 of bracket 31, the lever 34` being 'forced downwardly until dog 35 engages notch 40 when the parts reaaere applied almost immediately to all of the parts requiring cleaning, and tp no other parts of the machine; and th1s together with the employment of heatedwater, renders the process not only highly exped1tious and efficient, but also free from splashing.

It will be apparent that numerous variations in the construction illustrated may be employed. For instance, our invention is not limited to the particular method of lowering and raising the trough and pan, nor to the particular construction and arrangement for retracting the an preparatory to the cleaning operation. s a matter of fact, in the broad aspect of our invention, it is not necessarily limited to a water jacket pan, nor to the employment of the heated water from such jacket in the cleaning operation.

Furthermore, while we have described water as the cleaning fluid, it will be -apparent that other fluids, either hot or cold, may be employed in a similar manner, depending largely upon the type of coating material which the machine employs.

We claim:

l. Cleaning apparatus for adhesive coating machines, comprising adhesive coating mechanism including a moving coating member contacting with other elements of said mechanism for transferring the adhesive thereto, and means for applying a supply of cleaning fluid to said member to be carried thereby to said Celements for? cleaning the latter.

2. Cleaning apparatus for adhesive coating machines, comprising coating mechanism including a roller for carrying coating fluid contacting with other elements of the coating mechanism for transferrin the adhesive thereto, and means for app ying a supply of cleaning fluid to said roller to be carried thereby to said elements for cleaning the latter.

3. Cleaning apparatus for adhesive coating machines, comprising coating mechanism including a roller for carrying coating fluid contacting with other elements of the coating mechanism for transferring the adhesive thereto, and means for applying a supply of cleaning fluid to said roller to be carried thereby to said elements for cleaning the latter, said means including' a reservoir for the cleaning fluid movable into position to bring said fluid in contact with the roller surface- 4. Cleaning apparatus for coating machines, comprising coating mechanism including a moving coating member contacting with other elements of the coating mechanism, a reservoir for coating fluid into which said member normally dips, an open container for cleaning fluid, means whereby said reservoir ,may be shifted out of operative position, and means whereby the container may be held in position where said member will dip into the cleaning fluid there- 1n.

5. In a coating machine, coating mechanism, a reservoir for coating fluid normally located below the coating mechanism, a container for cleaning fluid, and means whereby said container may be substituted for said reservoir to supply cleaning fluid instead of' coating fluid to said mechanism.

6. In a coating machine, coating mech-anism, a reservoir for coating fluid, provisions for heating said fluid by means of a hot liquid, and means for applying said hot liquid to the coating mechanism for cleaning purposes.

7. Cleaning apparatus for coating machines includingA a 'reservoir .for coating fluid, means for heating said fluid including v a hot liquid and a container therefor adapted normally to maintain said liquid -against the reservoir; and means for holding said ,container in posit-ion to supply the liquid to the coating mechanism for cleaning purposes after the reservoir has been shifted from normal position.

8. Cleaning apparatus for coating machines, includingl a reservoir for coating fluid, a trough containing a cleaning liquid, said trough supporting the reservoir in operative position, means whereby the reserf voir may be shifted along the trough into inoperative position, and means whereby the trough may thereafter be maintained in position to supply the liquid to the coating mechanism for cleaning purposes.

9. Cleanin apparatus for coating machines, inclu ing a container for cleaning liquid, a reservoir for coating fluid shiftably mounted on said container, means for supporting said container and reservoir in position to supply said fluid to the coating mechanism, and means whereby said container and reservoir may be shifted into position to supply said liquid directly from the container to said mechanism.

l0. Cleaning apparatus for coating machines, including coating mechanism, a container for cleaning liquid therefor, and a reservoir for coating fluid slidably mounted on said container and extending down- Wardly thereinto, the portion of said reservoir extending into the container being shorter than the container in the direction of relative movement between container and reservoir, the construction being such that the reservoir may be slid along the container to expose a portion of the liquid in the latter without raising the reservoir out of' the container.

11. In a coating machine, coating mechanism, a reservoir for coating Huid associated therewith and means for moving the reservoir into and out of cooperative association with the coating mechanism, the said 180 I means including a holder for the reservoir, spaced crank arms movably supporting the holder an operatingr handle connected to the said crank arms for imparting motion thereto and link means connecting the crank arms.

12. In a coating machine, coating mechanism, a reservoir for coating fluid located below the coating mechanism, and means t'or moving the reservoir into and out of cooperative association With the coating mechanism, the said means including provisions for raising and lowering the reservoir and independent provisions for moving the same horizontally to and from theA coating mechanism.

13. In a coating machine, coating mecha.- nism, a. reservoir for coating fluid located below the coatingr mechanism, means for moving the reservoir into and out of cooperative association With the coating mechanism, the said means including provisions for raising and lowering the reservoir and independent provisions for moving the same horizontally to and from the coating mechanism and means for limiting the motion of the reservoir in its horizontal movement.

14. In a coating machine, coating mechanism, a reservoir for coating fluid associated therewith and means for moving the reservoir into a plurality of positions into and out of cooperative association with the coating mechanism; the said means including a holder for the reservoir, spaced pairs of crank arms movably supportin the holder, an operating handle connecte to the said crank arms for imparting motion thereto, link means connecting a crank arm of one pair with a crank arm of another pair and means for locking the said holder in its plurality of positions.

Signed at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of 'Pennsylvania this 31st da of March, A. D. 1921,.

LLIAM A. WEIGHTMAN. CHARLES H. NITSCH. 

